Ranebow
by Joanne Lupin
Summary: This is the fic in which Reed and Shane adopt a child. Extreme fluff ensues.
1. In which Shane poses a question

Some people grow out of their clumsiness. And some people are Reed Van Kamp. Somehow, Reed always managed to trip over the doorstep of his and Shane's moderately-sized apartment, and somehow, as long as he was on their floor, Shane would catch him.

"One day, you'd think this'd get boring," Reed sighed from Shane's arms, "but as long as it's you, I don't think it will."

"One day," Shane replied, righting his husband and placing a kiss on his cheek, "you think you'd remember that there's a step there."

"Yeah, well, then you wouldn't be able to catch me."

Shane chuckled at this and helped Reed inside, hanging his satchel by the door. "So how was school today?"

"Um… I was told I don't understand art by a nineteen-year-old girl with too many body piercings and tattoos. I told her that I have a master's degree in fine arts, so I have a piece of paper that proves that I do, in fact, understand art. She stormed out, and I tripped over her easel. So yeah. You?"

"I had a small child draw me a rainbow, but she labeled it incorrectly." Shane took a drawing from his back pocket. Under an incorrectly-ordered rainbow (it's ROY-G-BIV, not G-BOY-PVT) were large, pink letters that proclaimed that the drawing above represented a "RANEBOW." Reed snorted. "Aren't kids adorable?" Shane asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, until they grow up and become the heavily-inked, vindictive creatures that make you wonder what kind of parents raised it."

"They don't all grow up to be like that," Shane replied.

"True."

Reed walked to the kitchen (it was his turn to cook), his face screwing up in concentration as he tried to avoid stumbling over the tiny bump of that metal thingy that separated the carpet from the linoleum. Shane slumped down into a chair at the table, lost in thought. "What if- and I'm speaking hypothetically here- I mean, I'm just spitballing, but, I mean, I'm not totally opposed to the idea- and it's okay if you don't like it- it's just an errant little thought that popped into my head and I hope it's cool if I can say it because I feel like we can say stuff to each other- like, we can do that, and-"

As adorable as Reed found his husband's inarticulations, he finally decided to save him from choking on his word vomit.

"What do you want to say, dear?"

"…W-what if we adopted a baby?"

Reed dropped the measuring cup he was holding, which caused milk to splatter the man's face and shards of glass to clatter in the sink (one of them, of course, got in a jab at Reed's hand). Shane winced.

"It's that bad of an idea?"

"N-no," Reed stuttered, his face turning red. "No. It just... it took me by surprise... A baby..."

"It's just-" Shane took Reed's hands, kissing the spot where the glass had cut him. "I mean, I love you. So much. But sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if we had another member in our family."

Reed pulled Shane over to sit at the table, not letting go of his hands. "That sounds... really nice, actually. But we both work, and it'll be hard- especially for us- to get on the adoption list, and I'll-" He broke off, frowning. Shane knew that look well.

"You'd be a great parent, Reed. I know you would."

"But what if I drop it?" he burst out. "What if I drop something on it? And what about when it starts crawling? I'd trip on it!"

Shane scooted closer and held his husband close to his chest. "You'd be fine. I know it." He pressed his lips into Reed's strawberry-blond curls, then pushed him slightly away so he could look him in the eyes. "Listen, if you don't want to, that's fine. But I think we could do it."

Reed shook his head. "Just... Give me some time to think, okay?"

Shane smiled. "Sure, dear."

Reed kissed his husband on the cheek. "Thanks."


	2. In which Reed asks Nick for advice

"Why is it that I'm always the first person you come to when you need advice?" Nick sighed. Jeff gave him a curious look. "It's Reed," Nick mouthed, covering the receiver to his hand. Jeff rolled his eyes. Sometimes his husband's bromance with Reed was mushier than his marriage.

"I'm freaking out, Nick," Reed said into the phone, ignoring the other man's question. "I mean, a _baby_. That's like… Aahh!"

"_Breathe_, Reed," Nick said, his tone sounding almost bored. "How about you make a pros and cons list?"

"Um… Okay… Uhhh… Con: Babies cost money. Especially adoption."

"Are you sure you'll adopt?"

"Yeah, I think so. I mean, if we use a surrogate and stuff, we'll always wonder which of us is the real father. And if we _do _find out, there would some sort of awkwardness. And, as you're well aware, I don't need any more awkwardness in my life. Plus, there are so many kids out there who don't have families already. If we could give one of them a home…"

"It sounds like you've given this a lot of thought…"

"How can I _not_ think about it, Nick? It's a huge deal. Life-changing!"

"Yeah. So your first con is that it'd cost a lot. Go on."

"Yeah. Um… Pro: It'd probably bring us closer together."

"Mhmm."

"So… Con: We'll both be exhausted."

"Yep."

"Pro: Tax reasons."

"Shallow much?"

"It's a pro, isn't it? Con: Who would take care of it? One of us would have to take leave off work. Which means even less money. Pro: My mom might start talking to me again if she had a grandkid. Which also means she might help us out. Con: Babies are messy. Pro: Babies are adorable. Con: It'll ruin our sex life."

Nick snickered on the other end of the line.

"It's true! It'd destroy everything you worked so hard to create!"

Nick was laughing now. "True. Good one, Reed. Keep going…"

"Pro…" Reed looked around his apartment. It really was a little too big for just the two of them. It felt as if something was missing… "Pro: I think I want a kid…"

"There you go, then."

Reed sighed deeply. "Thanks, Nick."

"I'd like to point out here that I didn't really do anything."

"You'll still take credit for it."

"True."

"Bye, Nick."

"Bye."

Later that night, when they were both in bed, Reed turned to face Shane. "I think… I think you were right. About adopting."

Shane's eyes got big. "You mean-"

"Shane… I think we should have a baby."


	3. In which Shane battles le forces of evil

It all felt a bit surreal to Reed. After a long ordeal of papers and interviews and more background checks than what would have been ordered for a straight couple, everything was set. In three weeks, they would be arriving at the airport to pick up a little girl named Annie, who would, by then, be three months old. Her birthday was March 26. Reed tried to remember what they were doing on March 26. He didn't think either of them had even begun to contemplate taking in a child on March 26. There was a calendar in the kitchen that had a big, red circle on the day when they would pick Annie up, and little black numbers counted down the days.

One night, about two weeks before Annie's arrival, Shane jolted upright in bed. Reed blearily opened his eyes. The clock read 2:37.

"What is it, Shane?" Reed slurred, turning over and nearly falling back asleep.

"What if she puts her fingers into the electrical sockets, Reed?"

"Huh?"

"The electrical sockets. She wouldn't know any better, and then-" Shane made a zapping noise, his hands illustrating an explosion.

"We have two weeks, Shane, we don't need-"

"And the cabinets! She could open them and drink the drain cleaning fluid or something! Or she could slam her hand in the door! Or she could fall into the toilet!"

"We can fix all of those things later, Shane," Reed groaned as his husband tumbled out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans.

But Shane had gotten it into his head that their apartment had to be baby-proofed right that instant. And when Shane got something in his head, there was no getting it out. So he pulled on the jeans, grabbed the car keys, and sped to the nearest all-night hardware store. Reed went back to sleep for the meantime, but when Shane came back home thirty minutes later, he heard his husband bustling all over the apartment, screwing things in, wrestling with packaging, and hissing profanities at inanimate objects.

"Shane. It's 3:30. Go to sleep."

"No! I still need to install these screens!"

Reed rolled over, slamming a pillow over his head. "You're lucky I love you so much, or I'd hate your guts," he grumbled.

"I am well aware," Shane called back, his grin sounding in his voice.

The next morning, Reed stumbled out of bed, dark circles painting the skin under his eyes. He shuffled to the bathroom and tugged at the lid of the toilet. It didn't budge.

"Shane? Why can't I open the toilet?"

Shane rushed in- his curls askew, similar dark circles making an appearance under his eyes, a screwdriver clutched in his hand- and explained the baby-proofed toilet to Reed. Reed struggled with the device for a moment before giving up. "I'll pee at work," he grumbled.

Reed encountered a similar problem with the shower (one of those paned glass deals without a bath), which he demanded Shane to open. By the time he got to work, he was nearly late for his first class and in a foul mood from lack of sleep. Shane, on the other hand, was calmed by his successful defeat of the forces that would seek to harm their little Annie. And Reed had to admit that it was good Shane had baby-proofed so far in advance. It gave him time to learn how to open the toilet.


	4. In which Annie arrives

The night before, Reed couldn't sleep. He tried, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw the picture the agency had sent him, and a flutter of excitement rushed through him, energizing him in that way that makes one impossibly tired and giddily hyper at the same time.

She didn't look like either of them, but that was to be expected; she was Vietnamese. She had a thick shock of black hair that coated her head, and her eyes were dark and bright. Her expression was curious, interested.

She was perfect.

They were leaving for the airport at six. It was 3:48. Reed sighed and got up, trying not to disturb Shane. He made himself a cup of tea and sat down at the table. After a short period of sitting around that felt like ages but, in actuality, only lasted a few minutes, the man decided to pass the time by grading essays. But the words swam on the page, and he found himself reading a sentence an average of 15.5 times before he absorbed any sort of meaning. He'd just given up on the whole endeavor when he heard a noise in the hallway. A bleary-eyed Shane slouched into the kitchen.

"Reed?"

"Yeah."

"Couldn't sleep?

"Uh-huh."

"Me neither." Shane flopped onto the chair next to Reed's and sighed. "She'll like it here, right? She won't miss it at the orphanage?"

"I doubt she'd be old enough to remember any of it."

"Yeah. Probably."

They sat in silence for a while in a state of half-sleep.

"Shane?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Me, too."

Eventually, the couple decided that it was an appropriate time to begin preparing for their trip to the airport. Reed had made a large sign that read "Annie Rose Anderson-Van Kamp" (Since they'd kept their own names, they decided to draw out of a hat to decide on the order. Shane had cheated in Reed's favor, but they'd still drawn his name first.) with an intricate pattern of flowers and bows lining the border. They brought it to the airport along with a soft, pink blanket and a brand new hair bow.

Shane drove like a maniac, in general, but on The Ride to the Airport, he was even worse. He sped down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. Usually, Reed would chastise him, but this wasn't a usual car ride. Small, anxious noises leaked out of him, and his foot tapped so fast it was a blur. A tense silence filled the car like thick fog, but it was broken suddenly, jarringly, by a burst of laughter from Shane.

"_What?_" Reed hissed.

Undeterred, Shane pointed to the radio. Reed was just barely able to catch the faint strains of the song over Shane's laughter.

"_ANNIE ARE YOU OKAAAYYYYYY? ARE YOU OKAY, ANNIE?_"

"Oh my God," snorted Reed before he, too dissolved into a fit of giggles. The rest of the car ride was much more relaxed, and every few minutes, one man would look at the other, and the laughter would resume again.

"That's her plane! It arrived!" Reed cried. He'd been pacing in front of the board, staring at it intently. When he'd seen the announcement of Annie's plane's arrival, he'd spun to face the board and ended up tripping over his own feet. Shane was too busy looking at the arrivals board to catch his husband, so he ended up landing, spread-eagle, on the floor. "I'm okay!" He scrambled up, grabbing the sign and hoisting it above his head. Shane stood on tiptoe, searching, but it took a full ten minutes for them to see the woman who'd been sent to bring Annie to them. Tears welled up in both men's eyes, and Shane began to call out.

"Annie! Over here! Hey!"

The woman carrying Annie swiftly grabbed her bag from the baggage claim and rushed to meet the men. The excitement the couples felt when she arrived with their new child never failed to rub off on her. She handed the baby off to the couple, who held her awkwardly, both men using one arm to support the girl that was now theirs.

"Shane…" Reed sniffed, his tears dripping down his nose.

"I know."

The woman smiled and fiddled momentarily with her bag. "Here are the papers- if you could just sign there and there to certify that Annie got here safe and sound- and you can take these. And here are her things from the orphanage."

The men looked from their baby to the forms, then back again, at a loss as to how to simultaneously hold Annie and sign the papers. Shane finally parted, signing the form with lightning speed, and then trading with Reed. They decided that Shane would carry Annie to the car, as he would be driving home and, therefore, be unable to hold her for the return trip.

On the ride home, Reed couldn't stop crying. "Oh my God, Shane. I just- oh my God. I can't believe…"

"Me, neither."


	5. In which everyone comes to see Annie

They gave them a day. They could only hold back for that long. Then they came. Blaine, Kurt, Nick, Jeff, Ethan, Evan, Dwight, Charlie, David, Wes, Trent- so many people they seemed to come and go in a blur. Everyone dropped off something- a casserole here, a pair of baby shoes there, until things piled up. The exhausted parents let everything sit where the guests put them.

When they weren't busy taking care of Annie, they were busy adoring her. Even after spending hours putting the girl to sleep, they would stay and watch her, often falling asleep in the rocking chairs beside her crib and waking up only a few hours later. They knew they were obligated to let everyone see her, but if the guest held her for over a minute, they got anxious. Kurt and Blaine once had the gall to offer their babysitting services so that Reed and Shane could take the night off. Reed blinked, confused. "Why would we want a night off?"

One visitor, however, stood out clearly through the haze of guests. Hilde Van Kamp hadn't spoken to her son in years. Things had turned incredibly icy when he'd come clean about his relationship with Shane, and when her son had become a _teacher_, of all things, she'd shut him out altogether. Yet now, here she was, standing shyly in their doorway.

"You got the letter," Reed murmured.

"Yeah… Can I see her?" She smiled meekly, holding out a lavishly wrapped gift. She was visibly holding back some choice words about her son's wrinkled, stained shirt and messy hair, but maybe the bright look in her son's eyes silenced her.

Reed led her in, wincing at the state of the apartment. Shane, who was feeding their baby from a bottle, froze at the sight of Hilde.

"Shane, my mother would like to meet Annie."

"Oh… Okay… Sure…" He handed the baby to his husband, who, in turn, gave her to Hilde. The woman softened the moment Annie touched her arms. She offered her finger, and Annie reached out to grip the finger in her tiny fist, but grazed her palm on Hilde's long, manicured nail. The baby started crying, and Reed immediately snatched her up. Annie fell silent in Reed's arms.

"I… I'm glad you came, mom."

The woman nodded. "I… Yes. Yes, well-" She straightened her skirt and offered her hand to Shane. The man took it, smiling stiffly. She hesitated for a moment, then hugged her son loosely, being careful not to squish Annie. "It was good to see you."

"Yeah. Uh… Thanks for the gift."

"It was nothing. Listen-" She laid a hand on her son's shoulder. "If you need help, you know, financially, I can-"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Goodbye, then," she said, running a hand over her hair.

"Yeah. Bye."

That year, Hilde sent an email asking if Reed would like her to include him and his family in her Christmas card. He said that yes, he would.


	6. In which Reed and Shane get really tired

Annie was crying. Again.

"Reed, I love that girl to death, but it is definitely your turn," Shane groaned.

"Why don't we just leave her on Nick's doorstep?" Reed grumbled, hauling himself out of bed. (Nick happened to be Annie's godfather. Reed put up quite an argument for this that basically amounted to: if Nick hadn't become Reed's impromptu sex ed teacher, Shane wouldn't have gotten any action for years, if at all.)

"We both know neither of us would do that."

"True."

But Shane had gone back to sleep. Reed shuffled into Annie's room, which used to be the guest room. He took his baby in his arms, bouncing her up and down. "Shhhh…" The girl continued to wail. He tried feeding her, he checked her diaper, he rocked her- nothing worked. Sighing, he placed Annie back in her crib. Over the sound of her crying, he began to sing:

"_I remember tears streaming down your face _

_When I said I'd never let you go_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light_

_I remember you said _

_Don't leave me here alone_

_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight…"_

At some point, roused by Reed's singing, Shane crept into the room. Reed looked over, not breaking off, as Shane joined in.

"_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be all right_

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound…"_

Annie drifted off just as their voices faded. Reed wrapped his arm around his husband and went up on his tiptoes so he could kiss him on the cheek. He wobbled, but Shane held him steady.

"Shane?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't actually want to give our baby to Nick."

"I know."

"We won't tell her I said that, right?"

"I don't know…" Shane smirked at him.

"Shane!"

Shane kissed him on the nose. "Of course I won't, dear."

"Good."


	7. In which there are milestones

The day he had to go back to work was probably the worst day of Reed's life. He and Shane had agreed that it should be him- he earned more, and though Hilde could have supplied them with enough money to keep them comfortably afloat and at home with Annie, neither man wanted to take that kind of money from her. But Reed was regretting the decision more and more by the minute. His students pounded him with questions about his child, but it just made him miss Annie more. He wondered what milestones he was missing- her first words? Her first time sitting up? Her first time trying to explore the electrical sockets but, fortunately, being foiled by Shane's plug thingies? It nearly killed him.

As soon as he got off work that first day, Reed raced home. Not even tripping on the stoop could deter him. He used his momentum to right himself, tearing himself from Shane's grasp, and sliding over the floor to where Annie was playing. He picked her up, letting out the breath he'd been holding in all day.

"Someone missed us…"

"Not both of you. Just Annie." But his tone and his grin were sarcastic. Shane feigned being insulted, then sat down to wrap his arms around his husband and their daughter.

"Did I miss anything?" Reed asked gloomily, handing Annie a toy that she was reaching for.

"No. I was waiting for you to get home, actually. I thought she might like to try juice, and I knew you'd want to be there."

"You hear that, Annie? You're gonna try juice!" Reed cooed, bouncing the girl in his lap.

"Oooh!" cried Annie.

"I'll go get some." Shane rose to go to the kitchen.

"You hear that? Daddy Shane's gonna go get you some juice!"

"Eeee!"

Reed laughed, so much more at ease now that Annie was in his arms. "Hey, Shane?" he called as the man in question entered the room, carrying a bottle full of amber liquid.

"It's apple juice. I swear."

"I believe you, dear," Reed said. "But I was wondering… Could you maybe stop by class one day with Annie? My students practically mobbed me today."

"That sounds fun! The bringing Annie to school part, not the being mobbed part."

"No, the being mobbed part sucked." Reed held Annie a little tighter to his chest, and Shane gave him a sympathetic look.

"Hey, Annie? How would you like to see where Daddy Reed works, huh?"

"Aaah!"

Shane handed the juice to Reed, who offered it to Annie. The girl swatted at it with her hands, so Reed pressed it closer to her lips. She tried a tentative sip, made an excited sound, and began chugging away with gusto.

"She likes it," Reed chuckled.

"Yeah," Shane replied, smiling. "I should take some juice when I bring her tomorrow. Would two be a good time?"

"Hm? Yeah, sure," Reed replied. He wasn't really listening- he was entranced by his daughter, who was now waving the bottle in the air. Shane crouched next to them and kissed his husband's forehead. He kissed back- a long, lingering one on the lips. Frustrated by the fact that her fathers' attentions were no longer on her, Annie began to protest.

"Da-da!"

The couple froze. His lips still partially attached to Shane's, Reed said, "That could be either of us…"

"Do you think-"

"Da-da!"

Reed and Shane broke apart, staring at their daughter.

"Da-da Rane!"

"No way…"

"She didn't…"

The two men turned to face each other, then began to laugh uproariously. Annie, sensing her fathers' joy, joined in.


	8. In which a minor freakout ensues

As Reed was setting Annie in her crib for the night, he noticed that the girl felt slightly warmer than usual.

"Shane…?"

No response.

"Shane…?" he called again, worry edging his voice. Shane came rushing in.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I'm probably just being silly, but, well, come here." He pulled his husband over. "Does she feel warm to you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, she does."

"D'you think we should-"

"I'll get it."

Shane darted out of the room. There was a clatter that meant that he had probably knocked something over in his haste, and the man returned seconds later, clutching a thermometer. He handed it off to Reed, who carefully inserted it into Annie's ear. When it beeped, he removed it and read the results.

"100.5…"

There was a bustling as coats and shoes and caps were thrown on and keys were grabbed, and then they were in the car, speeding quickly to the hospital.

"Our daughter-" Shane gasped out when they arrived at the reception desk. "She has a fever."

The receptionist was well aware that the baby looked absolutely fine, but she knew that the worried parents wouldn't be placated until they had seen a doctor, so she handed them a form to fill out and told them to wait until they were called. The men filled the sheet out with lightning speed, then waited on the edge of their seats until their name was called. Finally-

"Uhhh… Anderson and Van Kamp?"

"That's us!" Reed called, popping up out of his chair and nearly falling over. Shane automatically reached out the arm that wasn't holding Annie to catch his husband, and the family rushed over to meet the doctor.

"So. What seems to be the problem?"

"We think she has a fever," Shane offered.

"Did you take her temperature?"

"Yeah. 100.5."

Dr. Miller groaned internally. "That's barely a fever."

"Yeah, but… but-"

"Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I can do a check-up…"

Both men nodded furiously.

"…But I'll have to ask you to wait outside."

The couple glanced at each other, then at their daughter.

"Why can't we-"

"Policy."

"But-"

"No buts."

They both sighed. "Fine."

They handed Annie to the doctor and returned to the waiting room. After what was a serious contender for the longest thirty minutes of their lives, the doctor called them back in.

"Absolutely nothing is wrong with your daughter, Mr. and Mr. –uh…"

"Anderson and Van Kamp," Shane filled in, pointing to himself, and then to Reed.

"Ah. Yes. Anyway. Everything is perfectly fine. No need to worry."

"You're _absolutely sure_," Reed protested.

"Absolutely."

They nodded to the doctor and drove home, both of them keeping a close watch on the dozing Annie. They slept in her room that night, taking unspoken shifts so as to be sure their little daughter was fine.

The next morning, they checked Annie's temperature again. It was 98.6.


	9. In which Reed misses out some more

In the middle of a class, Reed got a text. His heart racing with some yet-unknown emotion, he checked his phone.

"OH MY GOD REED SHE IS CRAWLING OH MY GOD ALDDSJGSHFJG!"

As professionally as he could, he said to the class, "I'm sorry, but I'll have to take this." He swiftly left the classroom, speed-dialed Shane, and began jumping up and down like a crazy person.

"Oh my God, she's seriously crawling?" he shouted when Shane picked up.

"Yeah! She is! I'm taking video!"

"I wish I was there…"

"It's okay, Reed. You'll have other chances to see her crawl."

"Yeah, but this is her _first _crawl."

"We both agreed that it was you who needed to-"

"I know."

Silence.

"So… What made her crawl?"

You could hear Shane's smile through the phone. "Actually, you know that voicemail you left the other day? The one telling me we needed more milk?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was going through the answering machine and deleting all the messages, and that one came on, and all of a sudden, I hear this noise, and Annie's reaching towards the answering machine, and she just started crawling!"

"Shane Anderson, if you are making this up to make me feel better, I swear I will-"

"No, I'm serious!"

"…Okay, I believe you." Reed sank to the floor. His eyes were welling up, and he rubbed them with the sleeve of his jacket. "She's really crawling."

"Yeah."

"Wow…"

Reed stayed in the hall, clutching the phone like a lifeline, until he realized that he had to return to class. "Shane, I have to go."

"Yeah. I'll see you when you get home."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Reed placed the cell phone back in his pocket and re-entered the classroom.

"What was that about, Professor Van Kamp?" a student asked.

"It was something about Annie?"

"Aww, what?" chorused a group of girls and a handful of guys.

"She- uh… She crawled. For the first time."

There was an uproar of congratulatory noise from the class that was finally quieted by the bell.

"Don't forget the assignment due next week! Don't wait till the last minute!" he called, knowing most of them would. He sighed, sitting back in his chair. He was missing so much, but there was nothing he could really do. One of them had to work, and he didn't even know if Shane's job was still open. He'd made his choice, and he had to stick to it.

But why'd it have to be so damn hard?


	10. In which Reed breaks down

Reed was in a foul mood when he came home, but it was really hard to stay in a funk when he was greeted at the door by Annie, who was crawling towards him, cooing excitedly. He scooped her up, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, there."

"You wanna watch that video now?" Shane asked, kissing his husband over their daughter.

"Yeah… Yeah."

Shane hooked up the camera so they could watch the video on the TV. The screen was a chaotic jumble as past-Shane righted the camera, then pointed it at Annie. "Okay, check this out!" Video-Shane's voiced sounded excitedly from the television. There was a clicking noise, then another voice. Reed's.

"Hey, Shane. Are you going to the store today? Could you get some milk, please? Thanks, dear. Bye!"

When Annie had heard the voice, she'd pulled herself up on her hands and knees and struggled across the floor towards the answering machine.

"Reed?'

Reed shook his head, his tear-stained face betraying him. Giving up the pretense, he curled into Shane's arms.

"I just… I want to _be here _for these things," he moaned through sniffles. "I can't stand missing this stuff. And I want my daughter to crawl because she hears my real-life, not-a-recording voice, or, better yet, I want her to not feel like she has to crawl to my voice because I'm here enough that it's not a rare occurrence!" Reed sobbed into his husband's shirt. "It's tearing me apart, Shane. I can't take it anymore."

Annie noticed her fathers' distress and began to crawl towards her parents. When that failed to get their attention, she pulled herself up, her arms bracing herself on the couch. "Da-da?" she cooed. Reed turned to her voice, startled.

"A-annie?" he stuttered tearfully. He broke into a grin. "Hey there." He scooped her up, straightening so she could sit on his lap.

"There's one thing you didn't miss…"

"Yeah."

"You know, you're the only one who could make her do that."

"Well, I was the one who was crying," Reed sniffled. "And why was I crying? Because of all the moments like this that I'll be missing, that's why. And now that I know how good this is-" He broke off, sniffling some more. "I can't take it."

Shane rubbed his husband's arm comfortingly. "We'll think of something. I know- Wait! I've got it!" He stood up quickly, grabbing a jacket and shoving his feet into shoes.

"Shane, what are you-?"

"You stay here. You need Annie time. I'll be back."

"Okay…"

But Reed had barely finished those two syllables before Shane had disappeared out the door. He allowed himself a moment of confusion before he turned his attention to Annie, pulling a book off the floor and settling in to read it to her for at least the eighty-sixth time.

Somehow, it never got boring.

Reed had fallen asleep on the couch, Annie curled up on his chest. He awoke when rays of sunlight splashed his face. He looked around and saw Shane, who was asleep on the floor next to the couch. His hand was propped up, as if it had been reaching but went slack. He'd been holding Reed's hand.

"Shane?"

The man jolted awake, flailing slightly. "Oh, hey- HEY!" He pushed himself up and pulled Reed into a sitting position, waking their daughter who, graciously, was silent. "Look what I did!" Shane gestured to the general space of the living room. Cameras were fixed in strange places, all angled toward various spots on the floor. "They're connected to a livestream," Shane explained. "So if something important happens, I'll text you, and you can see it on the website!"

"Shane… Oh my God, Shane!" Reed carefully placed their daughter on the couch before flung himself at his husband. "It's perfect. Oh my, God, I love you so much, Shane!"

"I love you, too."

"You're, like, the most perfect person in the world. You know that, right?"

"I would be if you didn't exist."

"Smooth."

"When am I not?"

"Never, I just like to point it out."

At that point, words were replaced with kisses, and things that were a little past kisses, until-

"Da-da!"

The couple broke away, both blushing.

"I-I need to get ready for work."

"Yeah."

"Shane?"

"Uh-huh?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

And he proved it by pretending not to notice the tear streaks oh his husband's face.


	11. In which Annie has a birthday

One year ago today, Reed and Shane didn't know of Annie's existence.

One year ago today, Reed and Shane were only a couple.

One year ago today, neither of them could imagine the changes that would take place in their lives.

One year ago today, one birth halfway across the world set in motion a series of events that would catapult them into the rest of their lives.

One year ago today, Annie was born.

Shane made sure to get everything on video- not to show Reed (He had taken the day off work. There was no way in hell he was going to miss his daughter's first birthday.), but to record the memories forever. Both of them wished that there was a recording of this exact day, one year ago.

There was a cake. A small one, but a cake, nonetheless. Blaine and Kurt came, along with Nick and Jeff. Hilde came, too, standing slightly away from the hubbub. They each brought a little something, passed Annie around, marveled at Shane's video system that would've rivaled Han's. Annie didn't eat her cake so much as she mashed it all over her face and high chair. Her parents hovered around the party, and when one of the guests had held Annie for a little to long, they cleared their throat loudly and shifted their weight, obviously uncomfortable. Over all, it was a very nice party.

That night, after Annie was fast asleep and her parents were lying in bed, Shane began to babble. "What if- and I'm speaking hypothetically here- I mean, I'm just spitballing, but, I mean, I'm not totally opposed to the idea- and it's okay if you don't like it- it's just an errant little thought that popped into my head and I hope it's cool if I can say it because I feel like we can say stuff to each other- like, we can do that, and-"

"Dear…"

"What if we adopted another kid?"

Reed kissed his husband deeply, then broke away. "I'd like that a lot."

Five months later, Reed and Shane left for the airport to pick up a baby boy named Jake.


End file.
